It seems it's time to get my poor spit off the road for a while, with it being my daily driver, the little niggly problems dont seem to get fixed, and just get worse.
Currently on my list of problems is:
Slipping clutch
Perished suspension bushes on the rear
knocking exhaust
rattle from engine, possibly main bearings or water pump (probably both)
loss of oil pressure under heavy breaking, suspect big end bearings or oil pump pickup
Rusty sill
noisy rear wheel bearing
passenger door has dropped and is now a pain to open and close.
wipers dont return to stop position automatically
Broke another popper on the hood this morning, now only one popper holding the roof on on the drivers side.
And after a small shunt with a golf last week, i broke the 2 front overriders, developed a new 'clunk' from the bonnet/front suspension and the radio fell out of the housing and broke.
So, to get to the point, i'm using this as a big excuse to get a bike license, my car needs some time off the road while i fix it.
So, any advice from seasoned bikers appreciated.
I've had a quote to do my DAS, £640 from a well known company. That includes CBT, Theory, 5 days tuition plus a learner day, the full test, bike hire for all (6?) days, fuel, helmet hire and insurance.
Is this good?
As a complete novice, is 5 days tuition enough? too much? is it worth getting someone to show me the ropes after i've done my CBT? (it can be done modularly, so CBT can be done first).
My priority is cost, i want it to be as cheap as possible.
Also, if anyone has any old kit, gloves, jacket etc that they don't need, how much would you like for them?
I've been looking at a Honda VFR400 NC21 for around £700 with 60k on the clock.
I really like the look of these bikes, and reviews seem to suggest they're well respected in the bike world.
What is this bike like for a beginner? am i likely to kill myself? the figures are quite frightening for such a small "beginner" bike. Is that considered high mileage for a 1980's honda?
I've also been looking at Suzuki SV650's but cant seem to find a good one in my price range.
Any other bikes to consider? it's going to be mainly used for commuting into cambridge, quite a bit of heavy traffic.
Any other advice much appreciated, i dont want to end up getting a mondeo or something to tide me over while i fix my spit, i've wanted to learn to ride for a few years now.
Cheers
Fao: Bikers!
Moderator: Trig
Jase and Jo are your best bet m8. Jo has an SV650 and went through her test a year or two ago.
60K for a high reving 400cc bike sound a helluva lot to me, but in that price bracket it's a case of beggars and choosers. Also have you checked out fuel consumption and Insurance?
I have been looking for a 125 for my boy. Insurance is silly money. Not sure if that is because of age or experience.
Also my gut feeling is to be very careful of having too much power as a new rider. You'll have lots of other issues to contend with at first. Riding a bike is a whole different experience to a car.....you will be astonished at how dangerous it is and how dosey car drivers are (watch out for Volvos). It requires 100% attention and the foresight of a Chess grandmaster!
60K for a high reving 400cc bike sound a helluva lot to me, but in that price bracket it's a case of beggars and choosers. Also have you checked out fuel consumption and Insurance?
I have been looking for a 125 for my boy. Insurance is silly money. Not sure if that is because of age or experience.
Also my gut feeling is to be very careful of having too much power as a new rider. You'll have lots of other issues to contend with at first. Riding a bike is a whole different experience to a car.....you will be astonished at how dangerous it is and how dosey car drivers are (watch out for Volvos). It requires 100% attention and the foresight of a Chess grandmaster!
What sort of sizes are you chap? I have a load of gear that I'm never gonna use again,and most of it's near new.. I have an armoured jacket with removable liner (Very warm and tough as old boots) I have a lighter off-road style jacket, a pair of size 8 Sidi Verterbrae boots in black and silver, and a pair of size 8/9 Alpine Stars motocross boots (with removable inner bootees) in white.. I have also got a one piece leather race suit, to fit around 5'8" with 34" waist, which any good outfitter's, bike clothing shop, leather workers should be able to alter for you. Lemme know if you want pics of anything 
Cheers guys.
Clingy, i have to weigh up the risks against what i'm doing now, my car is surprisingly dangerous! A crash in my spit at anything over 30mph would probably result in a wooden steering wheel in my face and an engine in my lap, nevermind lack of proper seatbelts and headrests.
A bike isn't too bad considering.
I'm well aware of other drivers dozeyness as my car is so small, people are always nearly hitting me because they 'couldn't see me'! in fact, the neighbour drove straight into my bonnet last year for that very reason.
Tumble, I'm 5'10" ish, size 9 ish shoes (small 9's, my snowboard boots are size 8 1/2) and i guess average build, 32" waist.
The jacket and boots sound great, how much do you want for them?
I'm not sure on the power ranger look Could i see some pics?
What about helmets? how much should i be looking to spend and where from? are second hand helmets a no go?
Clingy, i have to weigh up the risks against what i'm doing now, my car is surprisingly dangerous! A crash in my spit at anything over 30mph would probably result in a wooden steering wheel in my face and an engine in my lap, nevermind lack of proper seatbelts and headrests.
A bike isn't too bad considering.
I'm well aware of other drivers dozeyness as my car is so small, people are always nearly hitting me because they 'couldn't see me'! in fact, the neighbour drove straight into my bonnet last year for that very reason.
Tumble, I'm 5'10" ish, size 9 ish shoes (small 9's, my snowboard boots are size 8 1/2) and i guess average build, 32" waist.
The jacket and boots sound great, how much do you want for them?
I'm not sure on the power ranger look
Could i see some pics?What about helmets? how much should i be looking to spend and where from? are second hand helmets a no go?
Where do I start 
Training I would say sounds about right but passing the test is another matter. Jo spent 3 months riding a 125 after passing her CBT and had 3 days training and failed her first test, she then had another day training and passed second time around. However doing the lot in one go having never ridden a motorbike will take more time. As with all things you only learn to ride after passing the test. As Clingy said its damn dangerous on a bike no matter how fast it goes
Personally I'd say that a first bike regardless of what licence you get shouldn't be too powerful. VFR400s are damn fast bikes and are used mostly as track bikes now because of their speed! My advice is to get yourself a 125 / 250 and spend 12 months on that. Trust me you will have all the power you need for commuting mileage. IT would only be worth getting a bigger bike if you are looking at joining a motorcycle club and doing some serious riding. Even then you really need to get some experience before riding in a group of 20 bikers at speeds in excess of 70mph
SV650s are fantastic bikes and they do have some power thats for sure, very forgiving bikes as well making them quite easy to ride unlike VFR's.
When the pull of a bigger bike kicks in you really need to know what to do instinctively in a split second at very high speed or you will simply become another statistic
This only comes with experience, not 5 days training.
Having said that don't let me put you off getting that big bike in time, it really is the most fantastic thing I ever got back into doing and I have a fantastic feeling of freedom whether I'm on the cruiser dawdling along at 40 mph along the country lanes or wringing the neck of the cbr600 at slightly above the speed limit
Whatever you budget for tho don't save money on the protective gear, get a decent fitting helmet and proper textiles / leathers. I've a good friend that was in an accident lately and if it wasn't for the right gear he would be a dead man, his kit most certainly saved his life! Lid, gloves and textiles will set you back a good £300 but it is worth every penny
Training I would say sounds about right but passing the test is another matter. Jo spent 3 months riding a 125 after passing her CBT and had 3 days training and failed her first test, she then had another day training and passed second time around. However doing the lot in one go having never ridden a motorbike will take more time. As with all things you only learn to ride after passing the test. As Clingy said its damn dangerous on a bike no matter how fast it goes
Personally I'd say that a first bike regardless of what licence you get shouldn't be too powerful. VFR400s are damn fast bikes and are used mostly as track bikes now because of their speed! My advice is to get yourself a 125 / 250 and spend 12 months on that. Trust me you will have all the power you need for commuting mileage. IT would only be worth getting a bigger bike if you are looking at joining a motorcycle club and doing some serious riding. Even then you really need to get some experience before riding in a group of 20 bikers at speeds in excess of 70mph
SV650s are fantastic bikes and they do have some power thats for sure, very forgiving bikes as well making them quite easy to ride unlike VFR's.When the pull of a bigger bike kicks in you really need to know what to do instinctively in a split second at very high speed or you will simply become another statistic
This only comes with experience, not 5 days training.Having said that don't let me put you off getting that big bike in time, it really is the most fantastic thing I ever got back into doing and I have a fantastic feeling of freedom whether I'm on the cruiser dawdling along at 40 mph along the country lanes or wringing the neck of the cbr600 at slightly above the speed limit
Whatever you budget for tho don't save money on the protective gear, get a decent fitting helmet and proper textiles / leathers. I've a good friend that was in an accident lately and if it wasn't for the right gear he would be a dead man, his kit most certainly saved his life! Lid, gloves and textiles will set you back a good £300 but it is worth every penny
Nice one, cheers Jase.
I see a big credit card bill coming on!
The speed of the VFR is frightening, but you're the first person to tell me it's too powerfull for a beginner, most people tell me the 400 is too small.
Looking at the specs, it still does 0-60 in 6 seconds with a top speed of 130mph, i agree, that's too fast.
I love the bike, but think it may be something to consider in the years to come.
May aswell get a cheap 250 runabout or something.
All helpfull stuff here, keep it coming
I see a big credit card bill coming on!
The speed of the VFR is frightening, but you're the first person to tell me it's too powerfull for a beginner, most people tell me the 400 is too small.
Looking at the specs, it still does 0-60 in 6 seconds with a top speed of 130mph, i agree, that's too fast.
I love the bike, but think it may be something to consider in the years to come.
May aswell get a cheap 250 runabout or something.
All helpfull stuff here, keep it coming
I'll get some pictures later - and as far as the leathers go, they've got history! They belogned to a bloke riding a chair in the TT.. he fell out of the back and scuffed the arse a little bit going over Ballaugh Bridge one year. They're sound though.. and atm they have got "Tumble" written across the shoulders (that can be removed very easily though, just a sewn on patch )
(that can be removed very easily though, just a sewn on patch )in a rush atm so nnot read ppl's replies.
GET YOUR OWN HELMET NOW!!!! hire helmets look fine but how many bleedin noobs have worn them and dropped them? mate safety first and ur helmet is the most presious of things so dont ever use a hire helmet. i know u wont get knocked down BUT... well u get the point.
I had a vfr400 for first bike
i rode it all the way down to jases's with a laptop on my back feckin great bike. i sat and did a tun twenty all the way down with ease. Only prob bud is the size of them. I;'m, 6ft and tbh it was too small but hell i did do a 11hr journey on the thing and surrvived so it cant be that bad
quite simply i dont have a bike but would have one in an instant.
the nc21 is old and hard to find bits. the 60k is prolly in km anot miles as they were ALL imports. The hardest thing is parts as they are ancient. i will dig out a good site for ya do it mate get ur license u know u want it dont let any1 talk u out of it
i will finish this later cya
Class
GET YOUR OWN HELMET NOW!!!! hire helmets look fine but how many bleedin noobs have worn them and dropped them? mate safety first and ur helmet is the most presious of things so dont ever use a hire helmet. i know u wont get knocked down BUT... well u get the point.
I had a vfr400 for first bike
i rode it all the way down to jases's with a laptop on my back feckin great bike. i sat and did a tun twenty all the way down with ease. Only prob bud is the size of them. I;'m, 6ft and tbh it was too small but hell i did do a 11hr journey on the thing and surrvived so it cant be that bad quite simply i dont have a bike but would have one in an instant.
the nc21 is old and hard to find bits. the 60k is prolly in km anot miles as they were ALL imports. The hardest thing is parts as they are ancient. i will dig out a good site for ya
do it mate get ur license u know u want it dont let any1 talk u out of it i will finish this later cya
Class
Cheers class!
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... &rd=1&rd=1" target="_blank">this</a> is the bike i was looking at, i've contacted the seller and it's still for sale.
I reckon i could get it down to £700 or less.
I know the NC21 is old, but tbh, i'd rather have an older bike that i can fix if it goes wrong.
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... &rd=1&rd=1" target="_blank">this</a> is the bike i was looking at, i've contacted the seller and it's still for sale.
I reckon i could get it down to £700 or less.
I know the NC21 is old, but tbh, i'd rather have an older bike that i can fix if it goes wrong.
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Dangerous Bob
- GSV Spammer
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Go for something cheap and slightly underpowered for your first bike.
You WILL drop it somewhere along the line. Perhaps not in the first year, but guaranteed you will.
I've seen too many chaps & chapesses leap onto even moderately powered machines, take a fistful of throttle and lose it all because they freeze up and forget to let go, OR grab too much brake in a panic.
You need something reasonably noob friendly, not too lightweight and over powered, and not too heavy and underpowered.
You want something that's reasonably reliable and not had the balls wrung out of it, otherwise you're back at square one with both car & bike off the road. So stay away from race reps.
Several types spring to mind, GS500 etc.
Training: You can spend a fortune, but hate the course or spend very little and love it. Choose a centre with a good rep, and go visit them.
If their instructors are crap, you'll hate the course and learn very little.
Also remember, most are not going to teach you how to ride, only how to pass the test. After that you learn to ride. They may teach you the theory, but you need lots of practise.
That's why I loved the old system.
Most importantly, get the best kit you can afford. Helmet first. Doesn't have to be the most expensive, but must feel comfortable and fit well. ALWAYS buy new, NEVER secondhand, no matter how good it looks.
Get a decent jacket, gloves and boots. These can be second hand if they're in decent nick.
That's just the start of it.
Once bitten, you'll get the bug bad, then you can save for a decent machine and flog your rat off to another Noobie.
(EDIT/) Just had a squint at the 400 you linked. MY GTR1000 has done 70k miles and I'm needing to do a fair amount of work.
For a small bike, that's a big mileage. You're looking at new cam chain, wheel, swinging arm and headset bearings if they haven't been done recently.
You WILL drop it somewhere along the line. Perhaps not in the first year, but guaranteed you will.
I've seen too many chaps & chapesses leap onto even moderately powered machines, take a fistful of throttle and lose it all because they freeze up and forget to let go, OR grab too much brake in a panic.
You need something reasonably noob friendly, not too lightweight and over powered, and not too heavy and underpowered.
You want something that's reasonably reliable and not had the balls wrung out of it, otherwise you're back at square one with both car & bike off the road. So stay away from race reps.
Several types spring to mind, GS500 etc.
Training: You can spend a fortune, but hate the course or spend very little and love it. Choose a centre with a good rep, and go visit them.
If their instructors are crap, you'll hate the course and learn very little.
Also remember, most are not going to teach you how to ride, only how to pass the test. After that you learn to ride. They may teach you the theory, but you need lots of practise.
That's why I loved the old system.
Most importantly, get the best kit you can afford. Helmet first. Doesn't have to be the most expensive, but must feel comfortable and fit well. ALWAYS buy new, NEVER secondhand, no matter how good it looks.
Get a decent jacket, gloves and boots. These can be second hand if they're in decent nick.
That's just the start of it.
Once bitten, you'll get the bug bad, then you can save for a decent machine and flog your rat off to another Noobie.
(EDIT/) Just had a squint at the 400 you linked. MY GTR1000 has done 70k miles and I'm needing to do a fair amount of work.
For a small bike, that's a big mileage. You're looking at new cam chain, wheel, swinging arm and headset bearings if they haven't been done recently.
Last edited by Dangerous Bob on Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
That's 69k km, not miles, 43000 miles. Thought i'd added another post after that one.
I'm going to have a look at it tomorrow, cant test it obviously but i know my way around an engine and have done some research into what to look for. The guy who owns it works at a garage in cambridge, so i'll be sure to ask what it's had done.
I'm going to have a look at it tomorrow, cant test it obviously but i know my way around an engine and have done some research into what to look for. The guy who owns it works at a garage in cambridge, so i'll be sure to ask what it's had done.
<a href="http://www.400greybike.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.400greybike.co.uk</a> is where i got all my help its a great site
i would deffo advise the rvf over the vrf as u will land up spending more imho. I loved my NC24 but getting parts was an absolute mare
a tip when buying a helmet. put it on in the shop and wear it for ten mins while u look around. cheek pads will wear in but if u have a splitin head after ten mins u know its nearly right but still too small. i found aria helmets fitted my head best
i think it was a superb bike for a first bike and i may try and get another some time
dont know what too say except have fun and enjoy
Class
i would deffo advise the rvf over the vrf as u will land up spending more imho. I loved my NC24 but getting parts was an absolute mare
a tip when buying a helmet. put it on in the shop and wear it for ten mins while u look around. cheek pads will wear in but if u have a splitin head after ten mins u know its nearly right but still too small. i found aria helmets fitted my head best
i think it was a superb bike for a first bike and i may try and get another some time
dont know what too say except have fun and enjoy
Class
Last edited by Class-- on Fri Apr 13, 2007 8:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.